What Ana Does

In our master bathroom, I went from this long, crazy counter that was never organized to a small one that's all mine. So, I really spent time selecting and curating the most important things that I use and want displayed in my own little space. The Top of the Vanity I love having everything I need RIGHT THERE and it looks pretty and organized. A personal goal of mine for this remodel. And all the other bottles and things I don't want to see everyday has been tucked away in labeled bins inside the cabinet. (Yup ... I got out the label maker.) Starting from the top, going clockwise: Tom's of Maine toothpaste | bamboo toothbrush | Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser (use it almost every night) | Burt's Bees Night Cream (super moisturizing) | little wood clock | Beautycounter Overnight Resurfacing Peel (also almost every night) | WM Apothecary Hand Soap | jade roller (every morning to de-puff) | yellow hand towel | Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume | handmade...

Shower glass, REAL shower glass, takes time and money. Slightly more than I was expecting. And defiantly more time than I had budgeted. So, it's three weeks after the contractor wrapped up his last tasks that the glass finally got installed. I called two different companies and only one had the matte black metal channels I wanted to match the other finishes in the bathroom. And the prices were similar, as was the timelines: 3 week minimum. Who knew?! First, a little stroll down memory lane with a BEFORE picture of our dingy shower. The location of the shower didn't move one bit. Width-wise, it's about the same. But it did grow longer once that huge tub was removed. Everything in This Shower Was Plastic And You Can See the Deck of the Tub on the Right Then the construction phase, with the half walls framed out .. And finally the finished picture WITH the glorious glass! Finished Shower with Glass Walls Brighter and more modern. Hooray!  Our favorite par...

When we adopted Bruce, we promised the adoption group he would be neutered. They even covered the surgery in the adoption price, so it was a done deal. Now seemed to be the right time: he's 4-months, I'm still home to look after him, and June is a nice weather month. So the appointment was made and we went in on Monday afternoon to get it done. Having never gone through canine surgery with any of our former pets, I didn't know what to expect. A medicated dog didn't sound all that attractive. And on top of the neutering, we also had his "dew claws" removed on his rear legs. Dew claws are the "thumbs" about an inch higher up from his paws. The one on his left leg wasn't attached, and dangled, and the vet had concerns about it getting caught on something or him eventually chewing it off (GROSS!). Logistically, the day was easy. I dropped him off in the morning, got a call from the Vet a few hours later about how he faired during the proced...

I've had this illustration in our dining room for years, and I didn't realize it at first, but it's a square in Paris (here's the original post ). So, before we left Paris this winter, we hunted down the exact spot it was created. Here's the print ... Cuca Rowley  and here's the actual square called Place Furstenberg ( see it on the map ). The Square Near the End of the Day Obviously Cuca caught it in the fall and this is last winter in Paris. It's located near the lovely St. Germain neighborhood (close to the frozen yogurt shop we frequented) and in that left corner is the teeny Velasquez museum.  And here's Leah modeling in front of the light post from the other direction ... which, in our opinion, was a much prettier view.  Our Cuca View It is always fun for pictures to come to life by visiting the actual places they represent.   Related links: Our Cuca Romley Story

Let's overthink my lawn for a post, shall we? Leah Mowing Like a Pro While we were in Paris, my Mother moved into my house (temporarily, as it turns out), fired my lawn guy, bought a gas-powered mower and was planning to take care of the landscaping herself. She enjoys it. But circumstances took her to Florida and now I'm left with no lawn guys and long grass. No big deal, really. But it started me thinking about lawns. Then I read this article  that summed up the environmental issues of our lawn obsession. We, as a nation, over-water, over-fertilize and over-mow our lawns. And it's having a negative effect on our environment. While, yes, there are absolute positives for having a lawn and taking care of it, we're often doing way too much . Sure, grass is a plant and pulls a little carbon from the air, and is way better than paving or anything else, BUT it's doesn't need to look perfect all the time. I live in the midwest, so I only need to worry a...

I have wanted glasses since about as long as I can remember. There was something about the intelligence and sophistication that comes with a great pair of glasses. My friends with glasses thought my jealousy was insane. It was awful to need a pair of glasses to see. Horrible. The headaches, the blurriness, all bad. So lately, when I've tried to read at night, I've noticed the letters jumping and having to concentrate a little harder to read the words on the page. I upped the font size on the Kindle, but reading to Alice at night from a paperback was ...well ... annoying. Why did the letters move around so much? After a few months, I got an appointment -- the same eye doctor I visited a few years ago -- and got my sight checked. The prognosis was finally what I'd wanted for years. It's the lowest of the lowest possible prescription, but my eyes finally need a little help. But here's the surprising thing: I thought I'd be so excited. I thought I'd ru...